Edmonds Police: Man tries to lure same boy three times in the past year

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EDMONDS, Wash. — Parents and students in one part of Edmonds are extra vigilant after an attempted luring took place near a school this week.

Parents at College Place Elementary School on 76th Avenue West are watching their kids a little closer.

“It’s very scary. It’s kind of creepy and kind of disturbing that there’s sick people like that out there,” said one parent as she picked up her kids Friday.

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In the last week, Edmonds police say, a man has tried twice to lure the same boy into his truck -- and they say the same thing happened to the boy once last February.

“He says three times in the same year from the same suspect, which definitely has alerted us and it’s very concerning,” said Sgt. Shane Hawley, a spokesperson with the Edmonds Police Department.

Police said that in each occurrence, the boy was walking home after school when the man pulled up, rolled his window down and told the boy to get in. Each time the boy ran away. Last Wednesday, he ran home and told his mom, who reported it to police.

“This is the first we’ve heard of this vehicle and this individual and so far it’s just one student,” added Hawley.

Police added extra patrols to the area and parents were notified of what happened.

“This is why I drive my kids to school and pick them up from school,” said one parent.

Students are told to be aware of the surroundings.

“It’s kind of scary, I take the bus home almost every day so, yeah, it’s kind of scary,” said one fourth-grade student who spoke to us with her parent’s consent.

Police also want to remind parents to talk to their kids about stranger danger.

“I’m going to have that talk with them to reassure them they don’t talk to strangers and never go with anyone,” said Carissa Saavedra, a parent of three.

The suspect is described as a white man in his mid-30s with spiked brown hair and appeared to be unshaven.

The vehicle is as an older extended cab Ford Ranger pickup truck. Police say it’s unique, because it is two-tone dark green over brown with a matching dark green canopy.

Police are hoping the truck will stand out and someone will spot it and call them.